Anthony DiComo's Mets MLBlog

Francoeur hearts New York, too

Dogged in 2008 by a series of rumors intimating that he did not
enjoy playing in Queens, Mets outfielder Ryan Church reported to camp the next season sporting an “I Love New York” t-shirt.

Jeff Francoeur, the man for whom the Mets traded Church last season, may be heading down a similar path.

Mere days after telling both the Daily News and the Post that he would
welcome a trade elsewhere — read: Kansas City — if it would result in
increased playing time, Francoeur nixed that talk following Tuesday’s
victory at Citi Field.

“I want to be here,” Francoeur said. “I’ve said it from Day 1, I like it
here. I enjoy playing. It’s a fun place to play. It’s a crazy place to
play, but it’s a fun place to play.”

And it should remain Francoeur’s home for a while, as it appears
increasingly unlikely that the Mets will deal Francoeur prior to
Saturday’s non-waiver Trade Deadline. Even before this week, the Mets
were worried that trading Francoeur would make them vulnerable in the
event that Carlos Beltran re-injured his surgically repaired right
knee. Now, Jason Bay is out indefinitely with a mild concussion,
providing the Mets with a clear reminder of why Francoeur remains
valuable to them.

“You like to have good players, and Jeff is definitely a good player,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

1 Comment

Could someone please tell Jerry that he shouldn’t speak anymore, or at least until the Wilpons get a clue and fire him. The quote above “You like to have good players…” is one of the most idiotic statements ever. Jerry, do you think we would like to have bad players? Guess what, we not only want good players, but how about a good manager? There’s an idea…getting a guy who can manage the team appropriately, someone who can light a fire – the anti Jerry. How about someone that doesn’t think its a good idea to experiment by batting Reyes 3rd – as he’s our fastest player? Or better yet, maybe we shouldn’t bat Bay, who signed a huge contract as a power hitter, in the #2 hole. What about a manager who doesn’t wait until a starter throws 51 pitches in ONE INNING to take him out. Did he think Pelf was going to find himself and average 10 pitches for the rest of the innings to leave in the 5th or 6th with 100 pitches thrown? I’ve watched this team for years, and through all the ups and downs have never been so aggrevated with how they play. Between Manuels ineptness at managing, and Minaya’s philosphy of “I’m just going to sign as many latin players as I can”, this team has dug itself into a hole. Minaya, you want to recruit latinos only? Go work in the winter leagues in Puerto Rico and Central America – and please bring Jerry with you.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.